List of ancient cities in Thrace and Dacia

Updated on Oct 24, 2023

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Similar List of ancient tribes in Thrace and Dacia, List of rulers of Thrace and Dacia, List of ancient cities in Illyria

This is a list of ancient cities, towns, villages, and fortresses in and around Thrace and Dacia. A number of these settlements were Dacian and Thracian, but some were Celtic, Greek, Roman, Paeonian, or Persian.

A number of cities in Dacia and Thrace were built on or close to the sites of preexisting Dacian or Thracian settlements. Some settlements in this list may have a double entry, such as the Paeonian Astibo and Latin Astibus. It is believed that Thracians did not build true cities even if they were named as such; the largest Thracian settlements were large villages. The only known attempt to build a polis by the Thracians was Seuthopolis., although Strabo considered the Thracian cities with "bria" ending polises. Some of the Dacian settlements and fortresses employed the traditional Murus Dacicus construction technique.

Note: Throughout these lists, an asterisk [*] indicates that the toponym is reconstructed.

Daco-Thracian

Many city names were composed of an initial lexical element affixed to -dava, -daua, -deva, -deba, -daba, or -dova, which meant "city" or "town" Endings on more southern regions are exclusively -bria ("town, city"), -disza, -diza, -dizos ("fortress, walled settlement"), -para, -paron, -pera, -phara ("town, village"). Strabo translated -bria as polis, but that may not be accurate. Thracian -disza, -diza, and -dizos are derived from Proto-Indo-European *dheigh-, "to knead clay", hence to "make bricks", "build walls", "wall", "walls", and so on. These Thracian lexical items show a satemization of PIE *gh-. Cognates include Ancient Greek teichos ("wall, fort, fortified town", as in the town of Didymoteicho) and Avestan da?za ("wall").

It is suggested that the "dava" endings are from the Dacian language, while the rest from the Thracian language. However "dava" towns can be found as south as Sandanski and Plovdiv. Some "dava" toponyms contain the same linguistic features as "diza" toponyms, e.g. Pirodiza and Pirodava. The first written mention of the name "Dacians" is in Roman sources. Strabo specified that the Daci are the Getae, identified as a Thracian tribe. The Dacians, Getae and their kings were always considered as Thracians by the ancients (Dio Cassius, Trogus Pompeius, Appian, Strabo, Herodotus and Pliny the Elder) and were said to speak the same language. The Dacian language is considered a variety of the Thracian language. Such lexical differentiation -dava vs. para, would be hardly enough evidence to separate Dacian from Thracian, thus they are classified as dialects. It is also possible that '-dava' and '-bria' mean two different things in the same language, rather than meaning the same thing in two different languages. Thus bria could have been used for urbanized settlements, similar in scale and design to those of the "civilised" peoples like Greeks and Romans, whereas '-dava' could mean a settlement which is rural, being situated in the steppe-like part of the Thracian lands.

Abydos

Acidava (Acidaua), a fortress town close to the Danube, located in today's Eno?e?ti, Olt County, Romania

Acmonia

Abdera

Acatapara

Aedava (Aedeva, Aedabe, Aedeba or Aedadeba), placed by Procopius on the Danubian road between Augustae and Variana, in Moesia (the present Northern Bulgaria)

Aedeva, modern Pernik

Agatapara

Ahypara

Aiadava (Aiadaba or Aeadaba, Greek: Αἰάδαβα), a locality in the Remesiana region in present-day Bela Palanka, Serbia

Aizis

Alaaibria(Aixis, Aixim, Airzis, Azizis, Azisis, Aizisis, Alzisis, Aigis, Aigizidava*, Zizis), mentioned by Emperor Trajan in Dacica

Amutria (Amutrion, Amutrium, Ancient Greek: ?????????), a Dacian town close to the Danube, possibly today's Motru, Gorj County, Romania

Apulon (Apoulon, Apula), a fortress city close to modern Alba-Iulia, Romania from which the Latin name of Apulum is derived

Arcina (Arcinna), a fortress town in Wallachia

Apsynthus

Arcobadara

Argedava (Argedauon, Sargedava, Sargedauon, Zargedava, Zargedauon, Ancient Greek: Αργεδαυον, Σαργεδαυον), mentioned in the Decree of Dionysopolis, potentially the dava discovered at Popeşti, a district in the town of Mihăileşti, Giurgiu County, Romania and maybe Burebista's court or capital

Argidava (Argidaua, Arcidava, Arcidaua, Argedava, Argedauon, Sargedava, Sargedauon, Zargedava, Zargedauon, Ancient Greek: Ἀργίδαυα, Αργεδαυον, Σαργεδαυον), potentially Burebista's court or capital, located in today's Vărădia, Caraş-Severin County, Romania

Artanes, modern Lom

Arutela

Apulon

Atipara

Authiparu

Bergula

Berzobis, ancient Bârzava, Romania

Bataldeua

Bazopara

Bediza

Belaidipara

Bendipara

Beodiza

Bergula, modern (Luleburgaz)

Beripara

Beroea, modern Stara Zagora

Bessapara of the Bessi tribe, today Sinitovo

Bizye, capital of the Odrysae

Bolbabria

Bortudiza

Bospara

Bregedava

Breierphara, near modern Komotini

Brentopara

Briparon

Buatpara

Buricodava

Buridava (Burridava), today's Ocnele Mari, Romania

Burtudiza

Busipara

Buteridava

Cabassus

Capidava (Kapidaua), a fortress town on the southern side of the lower Danube

Caria, modern Shabla

Carsidava or Karsidaua

Chesdupara

Cleipadava

Crenides

Cumidava (Comidava, Komidaua), ancient Râşnov, Romania

Cumlideva

Cypasis

Danedebai,

Dausdava (Dausadava, Dausdavua), "The shrine of wolves", a fortress town close to the Danube

Debelt

Dentheletica, capital of the Dentheletae tribe, modern Kyustendil

Desudaba or Maedius of the Maedi tribe, modern Sandanski

Diacum

Dierna (castra)

Dinogetia, located above the Danube delta

Docidava or Dokidaua

Dodopara

Drabeskos

Drobeta, located on the left bank of the Danube at Turnu Severin

Drusipara

Egeta

Ergines

Eumolpias, later Pulpudeva translating Philippopolis, the name resulted in modern Plovdiv, prehisotric settlement

Gatae

Gazoros

Gellipara

Genucla, settlement located south of the Danube

Germania, "hot water", modern Sapareva Banya, site of the Dentheletae tribe

Germisara "hot water"

Gildova (Gildoba), located along the Vistula river

Giridava

Hesdupara

Iamphorynna, capital of the Maedi tribe

Itadeba (Itadava)

Isgipara

Ismara

Istria (Olbia)

Jidava, near Câmpulung Muscel, Romania

Jidova

Kabyle of the Kabileti tribe, capital of the Odrysae

Keliadeva

Keirpara

Keriparon

Kipsela, modern Ipsala

Kirpiza

Kistidiza

Klepidaua

Krabnopara

Krasalopara

Kuimedaba

Longinopara

Lygos, modern Istanbul

Malva, a Dacian settlement where Roman Romula was built

Marcodava (Dacia) (Markodaua)

Maskiobria

Melsambria, modern Nessebar

Melta, modern Lovech

Murideba

Mutzipara* Napoca, ancient Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Naulochas, modern Obzor

Nentinava (Netindaua), ancient Slobozia, Romania

Nentivava, ancient Olteniţa, Romania

Netindava

Nipsa near Panisus

Oescus of the Triballi tribe

Odryssa or Uscudama, modern Edirne, capital of the Odrysae or Bessi tribe

Onokarsis, capital residence of the Odrysae, possibly modern Starosel

Orsudisza

Ostudiza

Patridava (Patridaua)

Patruissa

Pelendava (Pelendova), ancient Craiova, Romania

Perburidava

Pinon

Piroboridava

Petra, fort of Maedi

Petrodava (Petrodaua), located in Piatra Neamţ

Piroboridava (Piroboridaua)

Pizos

Polondava

Polymbria

Potaissa (Patavissa), ancient Turda, Romania

Predava

Priskupera

Quemedava, mentioned by Procopius in Dardania

Ramidava (Rhamidaua)

Ratiaria

Recidava

Remesiana

Romboses

Rusidava (Rusidava)

Ruconium

Sacidava (Sacidaba)

Sagadava

Salmydessos, modern Medea, residence of the Odrysae

Sandava

Sangidaua

Sarmizegetusa (Sarmisegetuza), Decebalus's capital and holy place

Scaidava (Skedeba)

Scaptopara, of the Dentheletae tribe, modern Blagoevgrad

Scaripara

Scedabria

Scelabria

Scept

Selymbria, modern Silivri in European Turkey

Serdica of the Serdi tribe, modern Sofia

Setidava (Setidaua), mentioned by Ptolemy as a thriving settlement

Seuthopolis

Singidava (Singidaua)

Sintica of the Sintoi tribe

Skaripara

Skaskopara

Spinopara

Stratopara

Strupil

Subzupara

Sucidava (Suvidava, Sukidaua), located in Corabia, Olt County, Romania

Susudava, mentioned by Ptolemy as a thriving settlement

Sykidaba

Tamasidava (Tamasidaua)

Tarpodiza

Tapae, a Dacian outpost guarding Sarmisegetuza and the site of two major battles between Dacians and Romans

Teichos, residence of the Odryssae

Therma of the Mygdones tribe, modern Thessaloniki

Thermidaua (Germidava), a town in Dalmatia probably founded by immigrants from Dacia, mentioned by Ptolemy, near Scodra

Thynia, town of the Thyni

Tibiscum

Tirista (Tsirista)

Tranopara

Tranupara

Tsgipera

Tsierna (Dierna)

Tyrida

Tyrodiza

Urdoviza, modern Kiten

Utidava (Utidaua)

Zalcdaba

Zaldapa

Zargidava (Zargidaua)

Zburulus

Sarmicegetusa

Zeugma

Zesutera

Zidava

Zikideva

Zimnicea, site where Alexander the Great fought the Dacians

Ziridava (Ziridaua), identified archaeologically with Pecica, Arad, Romania

Zirmai

Zisnudeba

Zisnedeva (Zisnudeva, Zisnudeba), located in Dacian Moesia

Zucidaua

Zurobara

Zusidava

Unknown names

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